Peacock Butterfly: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Butterflies of Europe · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Peacocks sleep through winter as adults, often tucked inside buildings or trees. That is why they are among the first butterflies of spring.
2. At rest, the dark undersides of its folded wings make it look like a dead leaf.
3. If a bird attacks, it flicks its wings open to flash four big eyespots. Startled birds hesitate, and some even flee.
4. In dark winter hiding places, eyespots are useless against mice. So the peacock hisses instead, and the mice back off.
5. In spring, a female lays her eggs on nettles, sometimes as many as 400 in a single batch.

The quiz

1. Where does the peacock butterfly often spend the winter?

• In Africa, after migrating
• As a caterpillar under the soil
• Inside buildings or trees (correct)
• At the bottom of ponds

Adults often winter in buildings or trees, so they appear early in spring.

2. What does a resting peacock look like with its wings closed?

• A dead leaf (correct)
• A bright blue flower
• A wasp
• A pebble

The dark underside of its wings mimics a dead leaf.

3. What does a peacock butterfly do when a bird attacks?

• It sprays a smelly liquid
• It drops to the ground and stays still
• It flies straight up into the clouds
• It opens its wings to show its eyespots (correct)

It flashes its eyespots in a threat display, which makes birds hesitate.

4. How does the peacock scare off mice in its dark winter shelter?

• By flashing its eyespots
• By hissing (correct)
• By glowing
• By biting

In the dark the eyespots don't work, but mice react strongly to its hissing.

5. What is the largest batch of eggs a peacock lays at once?

• Up to 10
• Up to 4,000
• Up to 400 (correct)
• Up to 40,000

It lays its eggs in batches of up to 400.

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